Three-Run Sixth Lifts Chiefs Past Wings
July 27, 2007 - International League (IL1)
Rochester Red Wings News Release
The Syracuse Chiefs used three hits and a walk to post three sixth inning runs, giving the Chiefs a 4-2 win Friday night at Frontier Field. Darnell McDonald and Tommy Watkins homered for Rochester; the Wings open a two-game series with the first place Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees Saturday in Pennsylvania, with the series moving to Frontier Monday and Tuesday night.
Wings starter Kevin Slowey proved to be vulnerable in the first inning but was fortunate in not allowing any runs. Russ Adams and Kevin Barker hit back-to-back singles with one out to put runners on first and third. Syracuse slugger John-Ford Griffin then flew out to short and Adam Lind struck out to help the Wings get out of an early jam.
Syracuse struck first in the second inning. John Hattig got things started with a double, then scored on Robinzon Diaz's RBI single up the middle to give the Chiefs a 1-0 lead. Ray Olmedo then advanced to second on his one-out single after Denard Span's unsuccessful attempt in throwing Hattig out at third,putting two runners in scoring position. Slowey then struck out Wayne Lydon and forced Adams to pop out to catcher Jose Morales to end the inning.
In the fifth the Wings threatened with runners on first and second with two outs but Alexi Casilla struck out on a splitter, leaving Banks' quest for a shutout intact. Slowey settled down after giving up his first run, retiring eight of the next 10 Syracuse hitters without allowing any to reach scoring position.
Slowey began to struggle in the sixth inning. Lind's one-out single followed by Mike Vento's walk allowed Hattig to hit a sharp run-scoring double over Garrett Jones' head on a ball that he misjudged. Diaz then hit a two-run single that bounced off the glove of second basemen Matt Tolbert, who was playing in. Olmedo followed with a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning with Syracuse leading 4-0.
Rochester responded in the bottom half of the sixth. McDonald hit a towering solo home run that sneaked inside the left field pole to trim their deficit to 4-1. Jones' single was followed by a 4-6-3 double play by Glenn Williams to end the momentum.
Slowey pitched six innings allowing four earned runs on nine hits and striking three. It was his first time allowing more than three runs as a Red Wing this season.
Syracuse starter Josh Banks pitched six 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on seven hits. Watkins' solo blast in the seventh cut the Chiefs lead to 4-2 and forced Banks out of the game, but the Wings could not muster any more offense in the inning against Syracuse reliever Scott Sauerbeck, who came in to get the final two outs. Jason Miller pitched three scoreless relief innings for the Wings, allowing just one hit and striking out two.
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